Carnival Colors & Home Decor? by Lea Ann Robson

Moko Jumbies (stilt dancers) at 2013 Crucian Carnival

In an earlier post (Fabric (of my Being?) I vowed to tackle my second bedroom décor with zeal equalling that which I applied to the first.  As you can see by this photo,  Iappear to have done so with wild abandon. First, let me state that this room is more evolutionary than planned.  At least that’s my defense & I’m stickin’ to it!

New bedding...Same dog!

The irony here is that despite the aforementioned zillion or so yards of upholstery fabric languishing in my closet, I succumbed to Anthropologie’s irresistible offer of an additional 50% off clearance, & purchased instead of made most of these linens. 

Regret?  Not one iota.

Back when our cable provider offered Sundance Channel in our lineup, I was addicted to ‘Man Shops Globe,’ the episodic saga of the head buyer for Anthropologie & his travels around the world. He had perhaps the one life I would trade mine for…Naaaaa.  But I loved Anthropologie & their quirky, arty, none-too-informative but delightful catalogues long before I caught that show.  Bits & bobs of their merchandise crop up all over my house, & I have never been disappointed in anything I have purchased from them, from my 3D white floral shower curtain to my happy Portuguese ceramic baking dishes & rolling pin (someday I’ll make a pie…really I will).  They are one of the best satisfiers of my Mom’s sage advice: If you’re going to interact with something on a daily basis, make sure

1. You love it &
2. It is well made.  

Seems simple enough, but too often (& I’m guilty, Lord knows) the temptation wins to settle for bargains (that aren’t) or mind-numbing generics instead of flair, pizzazz, & quality.  I can say, most enthusiastically, that Anthropologie purchases never fall into those categories. So on to the bedroom & the aforementioned clearance sale.

It started with this plaid throw (on the footboard) that at once unified & electrified the first bedroom design, like a big fat cherry on an already delicious sundae (can you tell I skipped breakfast?).  Since the final price reduction brought it to under $20.00, it inspired me to go through the clearance items again to see what new finds were lurking.  I was just looking for a throw to put at the foot of the second bed, to incorporate the colors of the mod print burnout velvet drapes I made for that room (to cover the rolling chrome racks full of craft stuff) & the bold cushion covers I had already paired with the white down comforter.  I found this one (pic at the head of this post), made from recycled silk sari strips.  The saturated colors thrilled me, & though it was substantially pricier than the first throw, it appeared to be (& turned out to be, upon delivery) absolutely worth it.  Since I had addressed & dressed the foot of the bed, I also found & ordered 2 euro shams for the head.  Their patterning & color palette reminded me of my Aunt Effie’s quilting from years ago & also had a bit of a Hawaiian quilt feel, which worked for our tropical setting. 

After adding two sets of my biggest Anthropologie weakness—their amazingly diverse jacquard woven dishtowels (that frequently incorporate the quirky orange of my kitchen cabinets), I had finished my order…

And then I saw the quilt that went with the shams…& it featured hand embroidery & appliqué, & was so reasonable after the discounts…& you know the rest.  

This summer I’ll probably go with my original plan to use the white duvet & just accessorize with the color & pattern at either end.  For now, I’ll use the whole shebang & every time I glance at that room in passing, I’ll feel the joy & excitement of the ‘carnival’ that is the décor in that room.  My Mom just scheduled (after much wheedling & begging on my part) a visit in April & I’ll let her take her choice between the ‘sunrise’ room & the ‘carnival o’ color’ option.  If she questions my palette inspiration, I offer these pics of this year’s Crucian Christmas Carnival as my defense.  On second thought, my choices may ‘pale’ by comparison?

Moko Jumbies in a sea of feathered dancers